


Momiji

by BerylRouge



Category: Gintama
Genre: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-02-18 03:45:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13091736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BerylRouge/pseuds/BerylRouge
Summary: Caught between idealism and duty, the Shinsengumi struggle for a better reputation. With a new murder series, aiming at high-ranked politicians and amanto representatives, this goal seems to be out of reach. Little do they know that soon their fates will intertwine with the criminals they are after. [Rating will go up as the story progresses]





	1. Nobody likes bad people but when they die, it's not without consequences

Discipline was the foundation on which everything the Shinsengumi stood for was built upon.

However, getting up as soon as dawn was breaking was one of those rules that gave most members a hard time maintaining this discipline. Still, they usually managed to get up, put their futons into the closet and punctually attend the daily morning assembly, wearing newly starched uniforms. The fear of their Demon Vice Commander was worse than the aching bones and itching wounds they had received during missions or training.

Despite Hijikata being the one who brought the Kyokuchuu Hatto, the Shinsengumi policy, into being, every now and then had to admit that also for himself, it was not easy to live by the rules. It could not be helped. He was also a human being and therefore had to overcome his lack of sleep after working long hours because he was also a samurai and thus needed to be a role model for his men.

Today was one of those days when he had to ignore the devilish voice inside his head that told him how warm and cozy his futon was and how much his brain and body were craving sleep. Since Kondō was still incapacitated due to the gunshot injury he had received when he had thrown himself in front of that damn frog, Hijikata alone was now in charge. This also meant that in case of an emergency or urgent cases, he was supposed to show up at the crime scene.

Now he found himself in a huge mansion, hunched over the lifeless body of that very damn frog Kondō had protected with his life.

The autumn air was chilly and damp. A white fog lay over the meadow, growing thicker the closer one came towards the huge pond in the middle of the estate. The street lamps had just been extinguished as a first faint idea of the breaking day could be seen at the horizon.

Hijikata straightened himself again and stretched his arms into the air to shake off the last remnants of sleep. Then his right hand disappeared inside his uniform jacket to surface some seconds later, presenting a box of cigarettes. His other hand had by now produced a lighter in the shape of a mayonnaise bottle from his hip pocket.

The scenery was very silent. Only the hollow, thudding sound of the shishi-odoshi and the dabbling play of water created background noises. Every now and then, a rustling in the bushes joined in, when one bird or two came by to look for food. The traffic sound from the city was hardly discernable for the mansion was situated in the outer districts into which the sophisticated Amanto technology and architecture had not found their way yet. If it wasn't for the protruding skyscrapers in the middle of Edo being visible from even this location, one would never think the country had somehow changed.

Hijikata, a lit cigarette loosely placed in the corner of his mouth, put a pair of rubber gloves over his hands. The smell of tobacco and thick smoke mingled with the clean, cold air and the fresh scent of the pine trees. But what was even more important: it masked the stench of the dead body and the blood paddle around it. Over the course of the years, Hijikata had found out that the smell of Amanto differed from that of humans. It was not unusual that also their corpses and especially their blood emitted odors that could be nauseating. Therefore, smoking was for Hijikata not solely a matter of enjoyment but moreover a way to daub those unpleasant smells.

With his rubber-clad index finger, the Vice Commander traced a blood splatter along a shōji. When his finger withdrew from the black, viscous substance, threads as thin as spider webs formed between his fingertip and the black drops. Its consistency reminded him of tar but the smell was bitter and awkwardly sweet, a bit like liquorice.

Not bothering to hide his disgust, Hijikata grimaced and puffed, a spiral of smoke accompanying his breath. When he took another look at the corpse, he wrinkled his nose.

"He deserved it.", a familiar voice resounded from behind him.

Okita, his sleeping mask on his head, hair still rugged from sleep, walked up to him. Once he was next to Hijikata, the boy waved his hand in front of his face.

"Smells like this toad's rotten inside is now escaping from his pores.", he remarked.

Then, he took his sheathed katana from his belt and poked the dead body with its hilt.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!", Hijikata snapped and kicked the hilt away from the body.

Okita ignored him and concentrated on readjusting his weapon to his belt. "It's because of him that Kondō-san is immobilized.", the boy reminded his superior. "Thinking that it was all for nothing because that asshole let himself be assassinated." He sighed and slid his hands inside his pockets.

Hijikata stripped the gloves off his hands and threw them carelessly onto the floor. With his bare hand, he took the cigarette from his lips and a long, gray tail of ash fell off and scattered into little pieces as it made its way down to the ground. The man took a last puff before he snipped the cigarette stub into the garden. It disappeared between the gravel in the backyard.

"This is bad.", Hijikata muttered. "Very bad.", he corrected himself after a little pause. "He was scum. There is no use arguing about this. But the meaning of his death is what really worries me."

Okita looked at him with big eyes.

"We have failed protecting this guy. This will again worsen our reputation." He massaged his chin and had another close look at the crime scene. "This is the work of a professional. No doubt about this. We cannot afford taking this case easily but instead have to work twice as hard from now on."

Okita squatted down next to the corpse, closely observing the cut on its throat. It was clean and just deep enough to fatally wound the aorta.

"What about the guards?", he asked, turning his head towards Hijikata.

"They were either knocked out or poisoned."

While speaking, Hijikata pulled a transparent plastic bag out of his jacket pocket and dropped it into Okita's hand. The young man pinched the pouch between index finger and thumb and held it in front of his face to have a look at its content.

It contained a few very thin needles that were black at the tips.

"That's indeed nothing an amateur would use.", Okita affirmed.

"But it's also not fitting the modus operandi of Katsura's or any other anti foreigner faction.", Hijikata added.

The two men exchanged looks and Okita got on his feet again. He walked towards the middle of the room.

"The ugly toad was standing here when the intruder attacked him." He took a look around the room. "It must have been a surprise attack, ergo none of the guards could come to warn him. He was totally unaware of the danger. There are no signs of a fight. It was a matter of seconds. The culprit came, cut his throat and escaped." Okita took a few steps towards the corner of the room where the corpse of the frog was leaning against the wall. "He pressed his hands against his throat to stop the bleeding, then stumbled into this corner where he finally died.", he concluded his analysis.

Hijikata nodded. "That's what I thought as well."

"Silent, sly and clean.", the teenager mused.

"A professional assassin, most likely a seasoned shinobi or someone who has gone through a similar training.", Hijikate concluded. "Yamazaki!"

At once, the spy appeared in front of the Vice Commander, saluting. "Yes, sir?"

"Yamazaki, go and see if you can contact some former Oniwaban members or any other ninja you can find. Keep your eyes and ears open for anyting fishy. Maybe start your investigation in Kabukicho."

***

While driving through the city, he had carefully chosen the words he considered being best suited to inform his superior about the latest development. Knowing his old friend, he was very well aware that Kondō would certainly not let his disappointment and worries show or even blame his troop – but Hijikata knew also that Kondō was as much apprehend the consequences of this casualty as he was himself, and moreover an unpleasant emergency meeting with Matsudaira was inevitable.

When Hijikata and Okita drove around the corner, the first thing they saw was a crowd of journalists and reporters. Some lower ranked Shinsengumi were struggling to keep them at bay and prevent them from permeating the door.

"Fucking vultures.", Hijikata cursed under his breath and grit his teeth.

Okita, who was stirring the car, shifted down a gear and with a howling sound, the vehicle sped up, aiming directly towards the cluster of people, all equipped with either pens and notebooks or microphones and a camera. Just on time, they managed to jump to the side as the car crashed into the closed wooden door and came to a halt in the middle of the training ground at the center of the premises.

"Sōgoooo!", Hijikata wailed.

Even though the car did not move anymore, he still clutched the inner door handle tightly with his right hand and the one above his head with his left one. His heart hammered against his chest and he wheezed. His forehead was dotted with tiny sweat pearls and with anger filled eyes, he beheld the damage. The engine cover was decorated with splintered logs and from under the battered metal, a white, thick fume. Okita, his face void of any expression, coolly got off the car.

"Oi, Hijikata-san. You better get out. Looks like this thing is ready to explode any second." He lit a match, threw it into a hole of the engine cover and trodded away into the direction of the nursery.

Hijikata snapped back into reality and pulled at the door handle but nothing happened. Violently, he tried to kick the door open, but it was so heavily blocked that this attempt was to no avail, too. In panic, he freed himself from the seat belt, crawled over onto the driver's seat and jumped off the car – just in time before the first detonation occurred. However, he was blown through the air by the impact but landed in the pond. From underwater, he beheld an orange light. Once he resurfaced, he looked at the destroyed, burning car.

Matsudaira would definitely dock this off his pay.

***

Isao Kondō was sitting on the porch, wearing a thick, gray yukata with an orange triangular pattern on its borders. His uniform jacket covered his shoulders and held him warm. His upper half of the torso was covered by a fresh bandage. He was just enjoying some tea and sweets when the First Division's captain came his way.

"Looks like you've already recovered a bit, Kondō-san." A short-lived, genuine smile came along with the words.

"Ah, Sōgo-kun!", the tall man greeted him back and offered him some of the dango which Okita gladly accepted.

"Bad news, Kondō-san." The younger man fished for an envelope which he then handed over to his boss.

Kondō placed the toothpick that had kept the dango he had just finished together onto the plate and opened the paper. Feeling how hard it was, he already knew what it contained. He frowned as he closely examined one polaroid picture after another. Before he took another stash of photos from the envelope, he put the ones he had already looked at aside and faced Okita.

"What have the investigations shown?", he asked in a sober voice.

"We are quite sure that this is the work of a professional. Someone must have hired an assassin to do the dirty work for them. Wait a second." Okita reached out for the envelope with the polaroids and flipped through them. It took him a while before he found the one he was looking for: a photo of a blood splatter.

"You see, the blood stains form a half-circle." The boy used the toothpick to point at the matter he was talking about.

"One clear cut, no traces of a fight.", Kondō observed. "Was there any evidence of forced entry?"

Okita shook his head. "From what we have seen, we think that the assault was meticulously planned and that the assassin knew the premises. That impression is strenghened by the fact that all guards were taken out one after another without causing any sort of ruckus.", he explained.

The next second, they perceived a strange noise that was coming closer.

Both men looked up simultaneously and beheld a soaking wet Hijikata, water droplets dripping from the tips of his hair and streaming along his furious face. He left dark stains and little puddles along the wooden veranda with every step. His water filled leather shoes squelching as he joined his two colleagues. Once he took a seat next to the commander, he emptied both of his shoes.

"I guess Sōgo has already informed you about the latest development.", he said, shooting an angry look at the younger one. So much for his intention to break the news gently.

Kondō folded his arms in front of his big chest and nodded, keeping his head low and his eyes closed. "I assume you already have a plan, Tōshi?"

"I told Yamazaki to interrogate the former members of the Oniwaban and their likes."

"Makes sense. Most of the former ninja have now become mercenaries. With enough money and time to pick the best candidate, you can surely find someone willing to take the risk. Chances are good they might know something. Even if it's only a clue of someone asking around or anything else that comes close to a piece of valuable information. Then at least we have a starting point."

***

He was not actively involved into what had occurred that day, namely the investigation and the public outcry, but as the head of the Shinsengumi, he was still involved in everything. Whoever once said that shit always falls down, had not heard of the Shinsengumi. In their case, it was their commander, Isao Kondō, who had to take full responsibility for everything the Shinsengumi got themselves into.

It was one of those nights where it only seemed natural to him to carry his problems and worries to the doorsteps of the Snack Smile and leave them there for a few hours of distraction.

Kondō walked along the corridor he knew so well and his heart was pounding from the pleasant anticipation of seeing Otae again. Thanks to his injury he was at the moment not able to stalk her and so did not get his usual fill of her. Actually, he should not be out tonight at all since the doctor had advised him to bed, but the longing for Tae was worse than any other physical pain he had ever experienced. So here he was, ready for her special treatment.

When he shoved the heavy, crimson red satin curtain which separated the hallway from the guest room aside, familiar faces greeted him but Tae was nowhere to be seen. A scent of sweet and flowery perfume surrounded him and in his ears droned the sound of girly giggles and manly laughs.

Still looking out for Tae, Kondō felt a broad hand on his shoulder. He had not realized that the manager had approached him.

"Good evening, Kondō-san. We are as usual happy to welcome you to our humble establishment, but I have no good news for you tonight. Tae-san is absent due to illness. She won't be back before tomorrow. But maybe our newest jewel can bestow some enjoyment on you."

The man waved a hand and a raven-haired woman came into their direction. Her movements were very elegant and her obvious composure was the very opposite of Tae's rustic charme. Kondō beheld her closely. She was definitely older than Tae, maybe approximately the same age as him.

No, she was not Tae, but Kondō had enjoyed the company of pretty women already before Tae entered his life. So he thought he might give it a try.

The woman bowed down gracefully and smiled at him with piercing blue eyes that contrasted with her fair complexion and jet black curly hair, but fit the kimono she was wearing perfectly.

"Kondō-san, my name is Keiko. But please just call me Kei or Kei-chan – which one you find more appealing. I hope you are not too disappointed that Tae-san is not here today. I will do my best to entertain you as well."

Her voice was youthful and soothing. When she beckoned Kondō to come with her, he followed without hesitation and took the opportunity to have a closer look at her figure. By the way her kimono's fabric wrinkled slightly over her legs, he could tell that she was very shapely. The moment she sat down in one of the booths, he caught a glimpse of her ample bosom.

"Not bad.", he thought and took a seat next to her.

The woman looked at him with a bashful expression on her heart-shaped face. She giggled. " I am sorry, this is actually my first time really being with a guest. I have never worked in this sector before, so please excuse my clumsiness."

"Ah, don't mind. I am happy to have a hot chick like you to spent my time with. What would you like to drink? A Dom Peri, I assume?"

She looked a bit shocked. "Oh no, Sir. That's not necessary. I will drink whatever drink you choose." She smiled sweetly but her gesture was not sweet and innocent at all. While speaking she had placed a hand on Kondō's leg. "I bet a real man like you is more into a manly drink. So why not have ourselves some sake or whiskey?", she suggested and fluttered her eyes.

As they were waiting for their drinks, Kei took the opportunity to get to know her customer a little bit better.

"So, how does it come that such a stately man of your age is not married yet or at least in a relationship at all? I can hardly believe that you need to come to a place like this to find some company." Pale fingers gently brushed a dark curl behind her ear.

"Uhm. You know... I guess this has to do with my job.", he replied, completely taken aback by this gentle treatment. Months of trying to be as close as possible to Tae had gotten him used to kicks and punches rather than sweet lines and questions about his own person.

"Your job?" She tilted her head.

"Ah, no big thing. I am the commander of the special police force, the Shinsengumi." he scratched his neck and blushed slightly.

"Oh wow. This is so impressive. This means you are in charge of our security and hold up the law in this town", the woman squealed and her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"The way you put it, it sounds like an important thing!", Kondō laughed and pushed her off with a wave of his hand.

"Well, I think it is important, Kondō-san. It is because of brave men like you that a fragile woman like me can feel safe while walking home in the night."

Kondō couldn't tell whether she really meant what she was saying or if it was just a part of her job. Yes, he had definitely spent too much time with Tae. The nights with her had let him forget how a hostess usually treated her customers. However, he had the impression that at least a part of Kei's excitement was not feigned. And that was actually a very good feeling.

Most people did not share Kei's views and opinions. Civilians, politicians and criminals alike loathed the men in black uniforms. Maybe the disdain had different roots, but the fact that the Shinsengumi usually got the short end of the stick remained the same. Hearing such warm words was balm for the soul. Though Tae was still holding his heart in her strong fists, squashing it with every rejection, the Shinsengumi's commander decided that meeting a woman like Kei was refreshing. And who knew, maybe it was a good way to make Tae jealous.


	2. Choose your opponents wisely because strangers might be stronger than you think

Yamazaki was looking down at the little yellow sticky note that was placed in the palm of his hand. He read the signs on it again to make sure that his current location was the address indicated on the piece of paper. The characters were written in Matsudaira's messy handwriting and were a combination of kanji and katakana, so it was more a process of deciphering than just reading.

_Kunoichi Café_

A look at the bright letters on the huge shop windows confirmed that this was indeed the place he was supposed to go to in order to gather some information.

Reluctantly, he entered the place and was welcomed by a jingling doorbell and smiling faces. When he beheld the waitresses in their red uniforms, reminiscences of the traditional Iga ninja outfits, he could not help but being reminded of the times when shinobi would operate in hidden alleys. His thoughts were interrupted by one of the employees.

"May I accompany you to a table, sir?" she chirped and gave him a bright smile.

Yamazaki nodded. As he followed the woman, who ushered him to a table near the counter, he observed the bustling activity that was the interaction between women and customers. With the exception of the uniform and the traditional Japanese setting, this was nothing else but a kind of maid café.

In the center of the shop was a glass case displaying all kinds of cakes and other sweets from both Japan and Western countries.

The policeman sat down and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, Miss. But I am looking for a..." he paused shortly to have another look at the yellow paper he was still holding in his hand, by that time a bit wavy from the moisture of his skin, "Sarutobi Ayame?"

The young woman reacted with a surprised look that gave Yamazaki the impression that his initial doubt was valid and that this was indeed not the right place. Maybe by accident, Matsudaira had handed Hijikata the wrong note. Maybe this was just one of the places the old lecher frequented to quench his thirst for the company of young women.

But then, the waitress answered.

"You mean Sacchan?"

"Yes?"

"Ah, you're lucky! She has just arrived for her shift. I will then ask her to come over to your table as soon as she has changed!" The young woman handed him a menu. "You can have a look at our special offers in the meantime.", she suggested and disappeared from the man's sight.

Yamazaki put the menu aside and instead began to empty the pockets of his jacket which contained several see-through plastic bags with evidence they had collected at the last crime scene. He neatly lined them up and put a pile of pictures next to them.

A tender voice then met his ear. "I assume you were sent by Matsudaira-san?"

He took a look behind his back and saw a slender young woman with long lavender hair who was standing in front of the booth next to where he was sitting.

"Sarutobi-san?" he asked carefully and the woman looked towards him, squinting her eyes.

She quickly apologized to an empty table and then came towards him.

"I assume you have some questions?"

"Uhm, yeah, that's right." Yamazaki confirmed. "If you would be so kind as to have a look at these objects and photos and give us your opinion as a former member of the Oniwaban and a professional assassin."

Upon hearing the request, she replied with an almost painful look on her face. "Well. That's impossible at the moment. I broke my glasses during a mission. As you maybe can tell, I have a poor eyesight and thus, I would not be able to quickly help you with that case." She sighed. "I'm sorry.", she muttered apologetically.

Yamazaki felt how his back was covered with pearls of cold sweat. His palms also got sweaty. If he would still be holding the paper, he was sure that the writing had the latest now become unreadable.

"That's bad, that's bad, that's bad.", he gibbered. "If I fail again, the Vice Commander will surely punish me... maybe he will make me commit senpukku this time for real?" Despite being lower, his voice now sounded some octaves higher than before.

"I can give you the address of an old friend. Maybe he can help you. He's in fact my former master's son and thus competent enough to be of use."

"Oh, really?!" Yamazaki uttered with teary eyes, holding her hands between his sweaty, cold palms.

* * *

It was just that time of the night when the noises and sounds slowly began to die out. Also the Shinsengumi Headquarter had become a quiet place. Only a few lights were still lit, mostly in the rooms where men were struggling with the last remnants of their working load. The rest was either out on patrol or already fast asleep.

A rumble went through the machine as the object of desire made its way to the exit. When the little white cardboard box's fall was broken by the silver rim, the metal jingled.

Hijikata straightaway removed the foil that covered the cigarette pack and lifted the lid to inhale the smell of tobacco. He flicked the bottom of the package and two cigarettes jumped up, protruding from the rest. With his lips, the man pulled one of them out and pushed the other one back with one of his fingers. Still holding the package in one hand, he lit the tip of the cigarette he had as usually put in the corner of his mouth.

Back in his room, he placed a clean ashtray on his desk, next to the two big boxes that contained copies of case files. Then he pulled the whiteboard into the middle of the room and removed the last traces of old notes until it was purely white again.

After that, he slid the door open to let some of the clear, cold autumn air float inside. He was certain that within a short time, he would feel cold, but this was actually the best antidote for fatigue. Hijikata removed the cigarette from his mouth and filled his lungs with fresh air and inhaled deeply.

Over the years, he had gotten accustomed to the police work and even developed a certain working routine. No matter if it were minor crimes such as cases of pocket-picking or major delicts like the latest assassination, Hijikata was aware of the bureaucracy and techniques it required to solve the cases – or at least try to come closer to their conclusion.

Nevertheless, his progression was not limited to those organizational tasks: his instincts had also undergone significant changes. From case to case, his power of deduction had gotten sharper, his eyes more capable of catching details that were escaping other peoples' attention.

Being exposed to the deeds of criminals of every shade, Hijikata had learned to think like them, to trace their motivation back to its roots. Even long before encoutering Kondō, when he was not more than a good-for-nothing bastard that belonged nowhere, the only thing he could rely on was his gut feeling.

Every now and then, he would feel a tingling sensation in his mind that seemed to float through his body as well and thus set him into a state of restlessness. He was like a dog that had picked up the scent of its prey and would not stop following its path until he had found what he was looking for.

Unbeknownst to Kondō, he had even gone to the lenghts of taking some rather unorthodox, even morally questionable measures, to reach that goal. However, those mostly solo actions were not carried out to satisfy himself, but to pursue the greater picture he had in the back of his mind. Along with Kondō, he aimed at establishing the Shinsengumi as a respected police force since the public still regarded them mostly as a waste of tax money.

Admittedly, their success rate in solving cases was quite humble, but this was not solely to blame on the Shinsengumi. In many cases, the rivaling police group, the Mimawarigumi, had taken prestigious cases from their care. That usually happened as soon as a crime gained a more political dimension. The Mimawarigumi operated in spheres and operations not open for the public since they were labelled sensitive topics that were prone to cause civil commotions once information leaked.

So, in the end, the Shinsengumi was left with nothing but a pile of parking violation tickets and drunk rioters.

As usual, Hijikata started with arranging the photos of the crime scene. He adjusted them to the whiteboard with the help of magnets. Then, he proceeded by adding the pages of the files that contained the medical reports and the reconstruction of the assassination. Beforehand, he had marked some keywords with a yellow highlighter.

_Guards – immobilized – needles – assassination – clear cut – aorta_

When he had finished the arrangement of pictures and pages, he sat down in front of his latest work of art and took writing materials and paper from a drawer of his desk. In his mind, he retraced the paths the intruder could have taken and how they might had taken advantage of possible security gaps.

The premises were filled with bushes and trees that especially during the night hours provided many dark areas the assassin could have used to sneak closer to the victim. Even the weather conditions had been in the favor of the perpetrator. Due to the wind, the security personnel and guards would not have interpreted the rustling of leaves as an indication of a threat lurking in the shadows.

His dark blue eyes wandered to a photograph that showed one of the roofs. In its focus were scratch marks that stemmed in all likelihood from a kaginawa; a tool that could be used for climbing, during earlier times especially applied by ninja to infiltrate enemy fortresses. From the depth of the scratches, the forensics had reported that the user must be of small and light stature, most likely a woman.

Hijikata took some notes and wanted to pursue the train of thought he had just initiated, when he startled up due to the sirens howling though the Shinsengumi Headquarters. Seconds later, the halls were filled with the sounds of footsteps, one pair of feet coming closer to the Vice Commander's room.

In one jolt, the door that led to the corridor was pushed open and Yamazaki halfway fell into the room, landing on his knees.

"Vice Commander! We have an urgent case! Another corpse has just been discovered!", Yamazaki yelped and panted for breath.

"Gather the 1st Division and tell them to meet me at the scene of the crime! Also see that you inform the medical team and the special task force!"

* * *

On the way to the crime scene – a five star restaurant on the top floor of a skyscraper - Yamazaki had furnished his superior with all the information known so far. The victim was no Amanto. He was a politician of lower rank, however one with connections reaching into the government's high society. Most likely a contact person whose task it was to distribute important information.

It took Hijikata and Yamazaki longer than expected to reach their destination. Some of the roads were blocked due to construction sites. When they had finally arrived at the building, they were confronted with the next hurdle: the mass of people consisting of bystanders and journalists.

"Vice Chief, Vice Chief! Can you give us some information about what happened?"

Hijikata brusquely brushed the microphone away that a journalist had placed directly in front of his face.

"No comment!" he barked and forcefully pushed the people in his way to the side.

Since the light bulbs had been destroyed, the crime scene was illuminated by spotlights the police forces had brought with them. In the hard, artificial light, the blood's contrast with the white tiles was even stronger than it had been in the normal light of the day. Not even the camera's flashlights could be perceived, solely the shutters and the clicks disclosed the process.

The thin line of blood came from one of the toilet cabins. Its door stood open, revealing a dead body in a very unfortunate position. The victim was sitting on the toilet, pants down, but his upper body was bent forward so that the side of his face pressed against the ground. The man's mouth was opened and it was easy to see that the blood had come from inside his body.

"Certainly not a way in which one would want to be remembered."Okita, whose division was in charge of investigating and securing the crime scene, mused.

"Poison?" Hijikata asked the medic.

"Looks like it." The man pointed at the victim's neck.

Hijikata came closer to have a good look at a tiny dark spot next to the medic's finger. Right under the hairline was a stab that was most likely from a needle. Around the spot, the skin was dark purple, almost black, and faded in a circular pattern into a lighter, lavender shade.

"We have already sent blood samples to the laboratory. The toxicologist's report should be ready by the time you arrive back at the headquarters.", one of the lower ranked Shinsengumi informed the Vice Commander.

Hijikata nodded and plunged the cigarette he had just finished in one of the toilets nearby.

"Here's the first evaluation." A member of Okita's division handed a pile of hand-written notes to Hijikata whose task it was now to report what was already known to Matsudaira who would then decide on the further way of the investigation.

The Vice Commander took a last look at the victim before he left the room.

And this was the moment the tingling deep inside his stomach was born once again.

Something was off with the corpse.

He could not yet put his finger on it, but he would make sure to meticulously scan every single picture of the crime scene to find the needle in the haystack that would bring him closer to a conclusion.

At the end of the hallway, in front of the elevator, one of his subordinates was interviewing a young woman. The man in the black uniform respectfully nodded towards Hijikata who replied with the same gesture. The woman's make up was ruined by her tears and she looked like a raccoon with the black circles around her eyes. Hijikata turned his attention away from the two other people and when he looked at his own reflection on the elevator's silver door, he noticed that his own eyes bore a striking similarity with that of the woman – but in his case, the black shadows did not come from runny make up.

So he decided that after seeing Matsudaira, he should better get some hours of sleep if he wanted to tackle a series of murders that seemed to have only just begun.

* * *

The grey of the morning was already dawning when Keiko left her working place. She was tired and a little bit tipsy from the many drinks the customers had bought for her. Although she was a newbie in the hostess business, she already had attracted many customers.

For the owner of the club, she was a gem and a guarantor for high revenues. However, for some of her co-workers, she had quickly become a nuisance as they had lost a lot of wealthy regular customers to the new girl.

Kei was not the most beautiful girl in the club, but she had a charming and winning way of treating people – and above that a very ample bosom and lovely figure that fuelled especially Tae's hate towards her.

When Kei left the establishment, Tae decided to follow her and teach her a lesson.

Though Kondō had as usually stuck to Tae, she was well aware of the potential danger Kei posed to their "relationship", all the more since she had learned that Kei and Kondō had spent the last evening together. Somehow, the thought of herself being stuck on the toilet with diarrhea and stomach cramps while the bitch took over her best customer, enraged Tae beyond limits.

"Kei-san." she tried to sound as sweet and innocent as she possibly could but yet the hostility came through.

"Tae-san." Kei turned around and smiled at her.

How Tae hated that smile. How she hated those big milk tanks hanging from the other woman's chest, how she hated the jet black, shoulder length curls that made her pale skin look so flawless.

She approached Kei until she had almost closed the distance between them completely.

They had approximately the same height, so Tae could directly look into Kei's clear blue eyes.

"I hope you do not intend to take my customers away from me, don't you?" Tae narrowed her eyes and lifted her head lightly – a technique that would usually intimidate people.

Kei however remained unimpressed.

"I just filled in for you. That is what colleagues do.", she stated.

"The gorilla is _mine_.", Tae spoke the words very slowly so that there would be no chance that Kei could miss the underlying threat.

"As far as I am concerned, _Kondō-san_ is free to choose whoever he feels the most comfortable with."

Now Kei was taking the same posture as Tae – and provokingly raised one of her eyebrows.

"So when he realizes one evening that he has had enough of your violent, animalistic outbursts, and that he wishes to be with a real woman, I will be more than pleased to offer him my services." Kei grinned, chin up and chest out.

In that second, something snapped inside Tae's head. She grit her teeth and reached out for Kei's wrist with the intention to force her onto the ground.

However, Kei reacted quickly and within a split second, the older woman had caught a hold of Tae's wrist and gave her arm a slight twist so that she was now in the exact same position she wanted to see Kei in.

Tightening the grip on Tae more, Kei bent down and with a mischievous expression on her face whispered into her ear.

"Be careful, Tae-chan. Not that the Dom Peri will cause you another night of shitting your guts out."

To Tae, the whisper sounded like the hissing of a snake.

When the raven-haired woman let go of her, Kei's face had taken on the usual cheerful appearance.

"Take care and make it home safely, Tae-chan", Kei yelled and waved at Tae who was still kneeling in the dirt, her hands tightly clenched into fists.

She looked like a fish with her open mouth and her twitching lips. She was not capable of getting just one single word out due to the many thoughts running through her head.

"Otae-san! Are you all right?" Another co-worker came running out of the club.

By that time, Kei was already a distance away but she looked over her shoulder and gave Tae an admonitory glance.

"I, I'm okay. I just tripped. Maybe I had a glass of Dom Peri too much." Tae explained absentmindedly.

* * *

**A/N: A big thanks to everyone who took their time to read the first chapter and especially the ones who gave a follow/fav! I am happy to see that there are actually a few people showing interest in the story that insignificant little me has put to paper. For you awesome human beings and everyone else, please note that I am a super slow updater because writing is at the moment not my number one priority. Most of my creative energy goes into drawing. But that also means that once I feel the time is right, I will publish some visual material based on this fiction (drawings of OCs and scenes from the story). However, I will try to update at least every three weeks from now on, with the tendency of the next chapter being released even earlier since I am looking forward to writing that part.**

**Also: If someone is interested in beta-reading this story - don't hesitate and contact me because I am not an English native speaker and therefore sometimes not sure if I can bring the things I have in mind across accurately.**

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This story is set after the events of episode 14 / lesson 15. I will stay relatively close to canon, but vary things here and there, especially when it comes to the order in which they occurred. Canon will always play a role and I am trying my best to not violate the overall plot, but since I don't want to re-write the entire story, I will change certain outcomes.
> 
> As you can learn from the description, this story contains original characters. These are not too prominent in the first chapters but will become more important as the story progresses.
> 
> Usually, I avoid using the Japanese honorifics in my writing because it somehow does not sound right to me using them in an English text. But since the honorifics in Gintama add greatly to illustrate the relationship between the characters, I decided to incorporate them into this story.


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